Milk frothing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A milk-frothing apparatus for preparing high quality micro-foamed milk for coffee drinks consistently and at high volume. A machine having one or more steaming stations includes an elevator at each station with an elevator-mounted steaming wand have a precise angle at the discharge end. The elevator-mounted steaming wand is configured to travel from an upward stowed status to a downward deployed status to insert the discharge end of the elevator-mounted steaming wand into milk inside a pitcher precisely located on the machine. A steam boiler is hydraulically coupled to the elevator-mounted steam wand via flexible tubing and an infrared sensor monitors the temperature of the pitcher during a downward deployed status. An LCD screen with operator controls and displays oriented to coincide spatially with the elevator indicate different operational settings selected by the user and related to machine operation.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No.62/597,813 filed Dec. 12, 2017, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

This disclosure is protected under United States and/or InternationalCopyright Laws. © 2017, 2018 Kyle Johan Hendrickson. All RightsReserved. A portion of the disclosure of this patent document containsmaterial that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright ownerhas no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patentdocument or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent andTrademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves allcopyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention is directed generally to the preparation of coffeedrinks, and more specifically to coffee drinks containing foamedingredients such as milk.

BACKGROUND

Within the coffee-drink industry, milk is conventionally steamed byusing one or two steam wand stations built into commercial espressomachines. Such machines typically have one to four stations (also knownas group heads) for brewing (also known as pulling or extracting)espresso shots. A single group head machine typically has one steamwand. Two through four group head machines typically have two steamwands. Steam wands are conventionally located on the left or right sideof the front of the machine, or on both sides of the machine. Somevendors of custom espresso equipment also offer standalone steam wandstations that can be mounted into a counter. Some high volume coffeeshops have also installed standalone steam wands after recognizing theirneed for additional production capacity for steaming milk.

Steamed milk is a required ingredient for all hot espresso drinks thatcontain milk (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, macchiatos). In thespecialty coffee industry, the most skillfully steamed milk is generallyreferred to as “micro-foamed” milk. Micro-foam is typically achievedwhen the milk has been skillfully steamed by a barista such that tinyair bubbles are formed and mixed into the milk during the steamingprocess. The consistency of micro-foamed milk allows the barista tocombine the milk into the espresso in such a way that an artistic designcan be presented to the customer on the top of their espresso drink.This design is often called “latte art” in the industry. Latte artgenerally acts as a stamp or guarantee of quality of the drink, becauseit is not possible to achieve attractive latte art in a drink unlessboth the espresso shots were extracted and the milk was steamed withextremely high quality. Not only are high-end espresso customers willingto pay higher prices for this higher quality, most of them now expectmicro-foamed milk and some kind of latte art in their drinks.

Additionally, properly micro-foamed drinks add to the overall pleasantexperience of the customer. The micro-foam, when properly made, has atexture that provides an attractive mouthfeel and the steaming tends tomake the milk taste sweeter, which to some, improves the flavor of thecoffee drink.

High quality espresso drinks with milk have traditionally resulted fromthe work of highly skilled baristas, in particular with their ability tosteam milk and generate micro-foamed milk. There are costs associatedwith hiring skilled baristas and/or training new employees in themicro-foaming technique, and there also may be a variability of qualityacross employees. Both of these elements contribute to quality. As aresult, improvements are clearly needed in current machines andprocesses used to deliver high-end espresso drinks that containmicro-foamed ingredients such as milk.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a milk steaming machineenables a barista to create a high volume of high-quality micro-foamedsteamed milk as a result of physical and structural components of themachine which are designed to embody at least one critical dimensionand/or practice of making micro-foamed milk. With certain dimensionsand/or micro-foaming practices built directly into the mechanicalaspects of the machine, the preferred embodiment of the invention can(a) decrease the costs of training new employees in micro-foamingtechnique, (b) decrease the variability of quality across employees, and(c) increase an employee's ability to generate a greater volume ofmicro-foam milk, thereby ultimately improving the quality, consistency,and volume of micro-foam milk that a business can produce.

High quality steamed milk steam is a required ingredient of everypremium espresso drink that includes hot milk and there is a need forcommercial equipment that offers a way to generate micro-foamed milk atboth high volume and high quality. The rising cost of labor and theincreasing demand for high-labor-intensity, high-quality espresso drinkscreate a market opportunity for equipment innovation for micro-foamedmilk that lowers the labor cost, increases the volume and maintains orimproves quality.

Embodiments of the invention solve specific problems that are notaddressed or contemplated by conventional equipment/machines, including,but not limited to: (i) enabling an employee to singularly produce ahigh-volume of high-quality micro-foamed milk that can be used inpremium espresso drinks, for example, to produce latte art on thesurface of such drinks, or (ii) keeping an employee informed of thestatus of the milk steaming process (which allows for bettermulti-tasking) and the age of the steamed milk (which ensures productquality of the extremely perishable micro-foamed milk). Severalinnovative features are combined in the preferred and alternativeembodiments to solve the identified problems of current systems andtechniques, as discussed in more detail below.

Various dimensions and components for producing micro-foamed milk(discussed more thoroughly below) are included into embodiments of theinvention and thus remove many of the technical skills and trainingrequired to properly steam milk to successfully generate micro-foamedmilk. These dimensions and components have the ability to yield a moreconsistent and higher quality product with less human intervention. Forinstance, although a barista using an embodiment of the invention may gothrough the steps of filling the pitcher with milk to the proper height,placing the filled pitcher securely into the steaming station, loweringthe steam wand elevator, selecting the desired ending milk temperature,removing the finished steamed milk, and pouring latte art, the machineaccording to an embodiment of the present invention only requires thebarista have the skill and technique to properly fill the milk pitcherto the proper level and choose a temperature setting. The remainingsteps, dimensions (e.g., timing, placement, and angle of the pitcher ofthe milk relative to the steam wand, temperature), etc. are resolved andkept consistent through mechanical means and structures incorporated inembodiments of the present invention.

Embodiments of the invention afford high volumes of micro-foamed milk byenabling efficient multi-tasking by clearly displaying to the baristathe status of both the “in-process” steaming of milk on each steamingstation (if the machine is equipped with multiple stations) and also theage of any “finished” steamed milk. Knowing the status of the steamingprocess and/or age of finished inventory for each station enables thebarista to have a large number (far greater than any other machine) ofactive steaming stations working together at the same time. This allowsa barista the ability to multitask while still maintaining a high levelof quality.

As previously discussed, there are conventional espresso machines withfour group heads (brewing stations), with typically one or two built-inor stand-alone steam wand stations. However, there are no machines thatenable a barista to steam milk on four stations and match the potentialthroughput of a four group head espresso machine for various reasonsmentioned in this disclosure, including but not limited to thedifficulties as a result of micro-foamed milk being extremely perishableand a barista's inability to multitask while maintaining a standard ofquality. Embodiments of this invention are the first machines to matchthroughput of milk and espresso (for three- and four-group head espressomachines) on a one-to-one basis to this or any extent. Embodiments ofthis invention reduce the milk steaming bottleneck in the drinkpreparation process and allow businesses like cafés to efficientlyutilize the full value of an espresso machine with one or more groupheads. While the milk frothing machine according to the presentinvention is certainly suitable for use with single group head espressomachines, it's true benefits, including increased throughput and highquality micro-foam, become most evident when used with espresso machineshave two (2) or more group heads.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a single-station ormulti-station milk frothing device utilizes an elevator-mounted steamingwand that is hydraulically coupled to a steam boiler via flexibletubing. In this embodiment, the elevator is moved up and down each timea pitcher of milk is steamed. To minimize the significant repetitivestress on the steam hose connected to each elevator, the hosesconnecting the boiler to the steam wand elevator are flexible. Thiseffectively allows for freedom of movement for the elevator and steamwand while avoiding repetitive stress and consequent wear anddeterioration of the machine.

Other examples of advantageous features, which can be included in one ormore embodiments, include one or more locator devices, such as rods,that protrude from the face of the machine rather than from the platformon which the pitchers sit while steaming. Among other benefits, theplacement of the locator device(s) allows for easy cleaning. Similarly,use of an infrared thermal sensor rather than a physical thermometersimplifies the equipment attached to the elevator, which lowers expectedmaintenance and repair cost and improves ease of cleaning.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, sensors are utilized toidentify which size of pitcher the barista is using at each station ofthe steaming machine. For drinks of different sizes baristas accordinglysteam different volumes of milk. The ultimate post-steaming temperaturesof different volumes of milk vary when for each milk volume the steam iscut off at the same temperature, Therefore, to achieve a milktemperature that is exactly the same across varying milk volumes it isnecessary to vary the steam cutoff temperature per volume of milk perdifferent targeted end milk temperature. Consistent milk temperaturesacross all milk volumes are desirable and valuable for good productquality and consistency. Therefore, an embodiment of the inventionpreferably uses sensors to automatically detect which pitcher size thebarista is steaming at each station.

Still yet another embodiment uses color sensors paired with differentcolors applied to and coordinated with different volume pitchers toallow the invention to register the volume of milk and apply theappropriate steaming settings. Another embodiment uses a weight sensorto recognize the volume of milk presented by the barista at each stationand apply the appropriate steaming settings. Another embodiment uses abarcode scanner to scan a barcode containing milk volume information oneach pitcher, which information is then used to apply appropriate milksteaming settings to that pitcher. Another embodiment uses an electrodeinserted into the milk to measure the variations in conductivity of themilk across different volumes of milk, which variance information isused to determine the present volume and set steaming settingsappropriately. Another embodiment uses proximity sensors to measure thedimensions of the pitcher and milk volume presented at each station,which data are then used to set the appropriate steaming settings.Another embodiment uses sensors to physically measure the dimensions ofthe pitcher and vertical position of the steaming wand to determinewhich volume of milk is being steamed. Another embodiment utilizes thetemperature reading data from the steaming process to determine whichvolume of milk is being steamed. This temperature method compares thetemperature data from heating the milk in the present pitcher to saveddata from heating the different sized pitchers. When data from thepresent steaming operation is identified by the invention as similar toone of the pitcher sizes the machine would apply the appropriatesteaming settings for the identified size of pitcher. Other embodimentswould include combinations of the aforementioned types of sensors andmethods of using sensors to determine the volume of milk presented tothe station for steaming.

Another embodiment asks the barista to input both the target temperaturesetting and the present pitcher size. This manual method of setting thepitcher size for each steaming would also provide the benefit ofarriving at uniform final temperatures across pitcher sizes.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, atemperature calibration method for the machine is implemented.Temperature calibration is critical for proper functioning of themachine at high speed and high efficiency and at high quality. Manualcalibration is time consuming, and could take 20-30 hours to really dialin the machine well. This would be a costly and error-prone setupprocess for the manufacturer or the customer. If it's not calibrated,the machine will not be very valuable since it would not cut offsteaming accurately, thereby impacting the quality of the high qualitymicro-foam. Accordingly, a quick, accurate calibration system isdesirable.

According to one embodiment, calibration takes place on a designatedadministrative screen or in an administrative mode, preferably inmachine firmware, At least two items of known temperature would be used.For each steaming station the first known temperature would be entered.Then the item of the corresponding temperature would be presented formeasurement to each station and that temperature logged into the systemby the user by pressing a button (physical or touchscreen) while theitem's temperature is being read by the thermal sensor. This processtells the machine what its raw sensor reading calibrates to in degreesFahrenheit or Celsius. This process is repeated for each station and forat least one other item of known temperature across all stations. Oncethe temperature calibration data has been recorded, the user runs acalibration software program in the machine. This program derives alinear equation that fits the stored calibration temperature data foreach steaming station. The purpose of this calibration equation is totranslate the level of raw sensor data at each station into temperaturereadings. This allows each steaming station to terminate the milksteaming process accurately at each temperature setting's predeterminedcutoff point. Such a calibration program and procedure may also benecessary to calibrate pitcher colors or barcodes or weights or whateveris used to determine pitcher sizes so that the machine can be set up toproperly recognize the pitcher sizes presented to it.

In summary, embodiments of the invention enable the consistentproduction of a higher volume of steamed milk, with a matched or higherquality than current manual techniques, with less user intervention.Embodiments allow a single barista who is not necessarily a skilled milksteamer to produce high quality micro-foamed milk with a higherconsistency of quality and a much higher volume than is possible withany existing espresso industry equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention aredescribed in detail below with reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 depicts, schematically, a front perspective view of a milkfrothing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention having four steam stations;

FIG. 2 depicts a back perspective view of the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts features of the embodiment of the present inventionillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 depicts the embodiment of the present invention illustrated inFIG. 3 with two milk pitchers;

FIG. 5 depicts further features of the embodiment of the presentinvention illustrated in FIG. 1, including steaming wands and pitcherlocator rods;

FIG. 6 depicts further features of the embodiment of the presentinvention illustrated in FIG. 5, including remote IR or other sensing;

FIG. 7 depicts a side view of the embodiment of the present inventionillustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 depicts further features of the embodiment of the presentinvention illustrated in FIG. 1, including a central visual display;

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C depict various screens of the visual display inFIG. 8;

FIG. 10 depicts an internal view of features of the embodiment of thepresent invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, with an emphasis onsteam lines;

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present inventionand depicts an example of distributed controls and displays; and,

FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of a milk frothing machine inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

This disclosure is intended to describe one or more embodiments of thepresent invention. It is to be understood that the use of absoluteterms, such as “must,” “will,” and the like, as well as specificquantities, is to be construed as being applicable to one or more ofsuch embodiments, but not necessarily to all such embodiments. As such,embodiments of the invention may omit, or include a modification of, oneor more features or functionalities described in the context of suchabsolute terms. In addition, the headings in this application are forreference purposes only and shall not in any way affect the meaning orinterpretation of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be operational with numerousgeneral purpose or special purpose computing system environments orconfigurations. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments,and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with the inventioninclude, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers,hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems,microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumerelectronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers,distributed computing environments that include any of the above systemsor devices, and the like.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be described in the generalcontext of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules,being executed by a computer and/or by computer-readable media on whichsuch instructions or modules can be stored. Generally, program modulesinclude routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc.,that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. The present disclosure may also be practiced in distributedcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed computing environment, program modules may be located inboth local and remote computer storage media including memory storagedevices.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may include or be implemented in avariety of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be anyavailable media that can be accessed by a computer and includes bothvolatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. Byway of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprisecomputer storage media and communication media. Computer storage mediainclude volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storage of information suchas computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules orother data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM,ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,or any other medium which can be used to store the desired informationand which can be accessed by computer. Communication media typicallyembodies computer readable instructions, data structures, programmodules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier waveor other transport mechanism and includes any information deliverymedia. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one ormore of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encodeinformation in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,communication media includes wired media such as a wired network ordirect-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF,infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the aboveshould also be included within the scope of computer readable media.

According to one or more embodiments, the combination of software orcomputer-executable instructions with a computer-readable medium resultsin the creation of a machine or apparatus. Similarly, the execution ofsoftware or computer-executable instructions by a processing deviceresults in the creation of a machine or apparatus, which may bedistinguishable from the processing device, itself, according to anembodiment.

Correspondingly, it is to be understood that a computer-readable mediumis transformed by storing software or computer-executable instructionsthereon. Likewise, a processing device is transformed in the course ofexecuting software or computer-executable instructions. Additionally, itis to be understood that a first set of data input to a processingdevice during, or otherwise in association with, the execution ofsoftware or computer-executable instructions by the processing device istransformed into a second set of data as a consequence of suchexecution. This second data set may subsequently be stored, displayed,consequence of, or otherwise involve, the physical alteration ofportions of a computer-readable medium. Such transformation, alluded toin each of the above examples, may also be a consequence of, orotherwise involve, the physical alteration of, for example, the statesof registers and/or counters associated with a processing device duringexecution of software or computer-executable instructions by theprocessing device.

As used herein, a process that is performed “automatically” may meanthat the process is performed as a result of machine-executedinstructions and does not, other than the establishment of userpreferences, require manual effort.

Embodiments of the invention, either alone or working together, aredirected towards a milk frothing station. In accordance with a preferredembodiment of the invention, the user may determine the position of asteam wand, milk depth in a milk pitcher, and pitcher location in anorientation that produces high-quality, steamed, micro-foamed milk.Hereinafter, high-quality, steamed, micro-foamed milk shall be referredto as “HQ foam.” As will be discussed below, the various embodiments ofthe present invention produce HQ foam, which drastically reduces thetraining time and cost for new or unskilled employees while producingconsistently high quality results.

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict an embodiment of the invention in the form of amachine 100 having four steaming stations 102 with an elevator 104 ateach. It is understood, however, that the machine 100 may, in accordancewith the present invention, use any number of steaming stations 102,such as one (1) or any greater number, including quantities greater thanthe four (4) depicted and described in the present disclosure. Theelevator 104 at each station 102 is attached to a vertical rail 108 onthe face 110 of the machine 100 to which a steam wand 112 is attachedand which the barista moves down to insert the steam wand 112 into milk(not shown) inside a pitcher 118. As depicted in FIG. 1, the elevator104 includes a C-shaped metal part 106, however any suitable shape thatserves the elevator function for the steam wand 112 is suitable.Likewise, the elevator 104 may be fabricated from other suitablematerials than metal, such, by way of example, nylon or plastic.

Moving the elevator 104 into a “down” position depresses a down positionswitch 114, which is described in more detail below. In this embodiment,when the barista moves the elevator 104 into the “up” position, theelevator 104 couples a magnet 116 to the machine frame 120, which holdsthe elevator 104 in the up position. It is understood that magnet 116may comprise two (2) magnetic portions or a magnet (collectively amagnet) 116 on elevator 104 that is magnetically coupleable to themachine frame 110. In either case, the elevator is magnetically held inthe raised or up position by magnet 116.

In this embodiment, the elevator 104 is a preferred way to insert andremove the steam wand 112 while keeping the wand in a fixed position andgeometry that result in HQ foam. Examples of the elevator's (104)vertical deployment are depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, with the elevator 104in the left station residing in the up position while the right sideelevator 104 is in the down position.

With this much vertical movement in the elevator 104, there will besignificant repetitive stress on the joints, slides, tubing, or otherparts which accommodate that movement. Embodiments of this inventionresolve that problem by using tubing 136 that is flexible, heat andpressure resistant, and food grade.

In one embodiment, a distal portion 122 of the steam wand 112 is bent at25 degrees to the vertical and is adjacent to a pair of pitcher locatordevices or rods 126 when downwardly deployed for steaming. In thisembodiment, the 25 degree bend of the steam wand 112 or tip of the wand122 allows the vertical movement of the elevator 104 to insert the wand112, without obstruction, into the proper location in the milk pitcher118. In this embodiment, the elevator-positionable steam wand 112 isoffset at an angle sufficiently horizontal (e.g., 25 degrees fromvertical) to deliver steam that, when the wand tip 122 is placed nearthe internal surfaces of a milk container 118 (parked in a steamingposition when container 118 is placed against a pair of adjustable stopsor pitcher locator devices or rods 126), causes the milk to swirl andincorporates air into the heating milk. While the tip 122 is positionedat 25 degrees from vertical in the present embodiment, it is to beunderstood that other angles may also work well. For example, a tipangle between 15-55 degrees from vertical may work. Likewise a broaderrange of angles greater than one (1) degree and less than ninety (90)degrees may allow generation of HQ foam under appropriate conditions.Angles outside these ranges are likely to cause the milk to swirl toolittle or too much and introduce too much or too little air into themilk to create HQ foam.

In this embodiment, the steam wand 112 has a proximate primarilyvertical portion and a distal bend or angled portion 122 continuous fromthe vertical portion. Alternatively, the wand may comprise a verticalportion (112) and a discrete tip (122) connected to the wand, with thetip positioned at the appropriate angle (e.g., 25 degrees). The tip 122may be removably connected to the wand 112 and may be of the same ordifferent material as the wand, as long as it is food-grade material.

FIG. 5 depicts the arrangement of the bent steaming wand 112 (at 25degrees) and its position relative to a pair of pitcher locator rods126. In another embodiment not depicted, and as alluded to above, thesteam tube deploys straight vertically and the approximate 25 degreeelement is provided by an attached tip of the wand, valve mechanism orother mechanical device that ejects stem into the milk at roughly a 25degree angle without significantly altering the hydrodynamics of theswirling milk. In another embodiment not depicted, the steam tubedeploys directly from the elevator 104 body at the approximately 25degree from vertical angle. The angle is achieved by fixtures inside ofor part of the elevator 104, and the steam tip is still placed close to,or slightly submerged in, the milk before steaming is initiated.

In accordance with further embodiments of the invention, a singleY-shaped or U-shaped locator device could be bolted or otherwise affixedto the face 110 of the machine 100 and produce the same type offunctionality as the two-rod pitcher locator design 126 that isillustrated in FIG. 5 and described above.

There are various styles of steam wands that may be found on, forexample, conventional automated espresso machines, like those used atStarbucks® stores or on other espresso machines designed for home use.These steaming products are not typically designed to produce highquality micro-foamed milk, but appear to automate the milk steamingprocess for users who are either untrained or uninterested in producinghigh quality micro-foamed milk.

Other steam wands attached to conventional commercial espresso machines,which are used by skilled baristas to micro-foam milk, are typicallyvery simple and manual in design. These steam wands are typically astainless steel tube bent in some fashion to improve ergonomics andattached to the espresso machine using a ball joint fitting that allowsthe barista to pull the wand up and position a pitcher of milk with thewand inside the pitcher. Traditionally, a skilled barista determines andpositions the wand to create proper contact with the milk surface formicro-foaming and turns on the flow of steam. The flow of steam istypically activated with a manual valve or electronically controlledsolenoid valve. The skilled barista typically continues to hold thepitcher and adjusts its position to properly incorporate air into themilk while the milk temperature rises. Some baristas may set the milkpitcher down and attend to another task for 10 to 20 seconds while themilk is steaming. Allowing the milk to steam too long, however, resultsin the milk burning or having milk that may burn the customer as theyconsume the beverage. As previously mentioned, while high quality milksteaming is a required ingredient of premium espresso drinks thatinclude milk, the process and outcomes are heavily dependent onindividual baristas. The preferred and alternative embodiments of theinvention offer businesses a way to generate micro-foamed milk at bothhigh volume and high quality without heavy reliance on skilled labor,thus ensuring a higher level of consistency in the end product.

In accordance with alternative embodiments, and as best illustrated inFIG. 6, an IR sensor 128 measures the steaming heating process viaremote monitoring of the external surface of the frothing containerparked in the steaming position. In this embodiment, steaming commenceswhen circuitry confirms that start condition is met for the presence ofcold pitcher/milk (to insure that overheating and/or aged milkre-steaming is avoided) and that the elevator 104 is sufficientlydownward in the steaming position. FIGS. 6 and 7 depict different viewsof the elevator 104 operation along with remote IR. IR sensor 128detects the temperature of the pitcher 118 (and indirectly that of themilk). In this aspect, the invention can provide a more reliable andconsistent way to ensure that the steaming process is carried out at theright temperature and that no over-heating results.

Embodiments of the invention can also utilize automation features thatallow an employee to conduct work in parallel with milk steaming, whichcan result in several economic benefits. For example, one embodiment ofthe invention utilizes infrared thermal sensors, which senses thetemperature of the milk and milk pitcher 118 to allow the computer tostop steaming at the user-defined proper time. Unlike conventionalespresso machines, which may feature an integrated thermometer with thesteam wand that either simply displays the milk temperature to thebarista or automatically cuts off the flow of steam into the milk, inone embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 8, aneasy-to-discern, centralized display and control station 130 monitorsthe steaming status of each steaming station 102 and allows the user toinput various temperature and time control parameters. Differentdisplays of the steam frothing process are presentable on a touch screendisplay 132, such as an LCD, with nearby manual purge buttons 134. Inaccordance with this embodiment, centralized controls and graphics aredisplayed on the LCD touchscreen 132 and are arranged in a way that issimple and intuitive for the user and gives obvious and immediatefeedback (even from a distance) on the state of all work in progress atall of the steaming stations 102. Such an arrangement is also ergonomicand durable. Alternatively, these controls (both the touch screen andhard button(s) could be decentralized and spread out to each steamstation—see FIG. 11 and discussed below). Such an arrangement couldimprove the ergonomics of the machine 100 but may increase itscomplexity and decrease a user's ability to assess the status of themachine or machines at a quick glance. However, it's possible that sucha decentralized configuration may increase the usability of the machine.In yet another embodiment, the manual purge buttons 134 are “soft”buttons located on the LCD screen 132.

For example, as depicted in FIG. 9A, there may be twelve buttons on anoperations screen 151 of the LCD display 132, three (labeled “HIGH” 154,“MID” 156 and “LOW” 158) for each of the four steaming stations 102. Thethree buttons (154, 156, 158) for each station 102 activate steamingthat cuts off automatically at the three different user-definedtemperature thresholds (e.g., “Set Temps,” of HIGH, MID and LOW). By wayof example, these three (3) buttons (154, 156, 158) select ending milktemperatures of 165, 140, 130 degrees respectively. Therefore, at a“Stop Temp,” selected by one of the above buttons (154, 156, 158), themachine 100 shuts a solenoid valve 190 (FIG. 12) to a boiler system 186(also FIG. 12) stopping the flow of steam heating the milk in the milkpitcher 118. FIG. 9A depicts a display 132 showing an example of anoperation screen 151 ready for user input to start the progress. FIG. 9Bdepicts an administrative screen 160 for setting operation variables,including a count-up timer which starts counting up when the machine 100stops steaming because the “Stop Temp” was reached (“Milk Expire Tm”);and FIG. 9C depicts a display screen 170 showing the current temperature(57 degrees) 172, with MID Stop Temp selected, along with an emergencySTOP button 174 showing at top. In other embodiments there are more orfewer Set Temps buttons and values displayed on the screen. Inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there aremultiple, such as three or four, Set Temp buttons (154, 156, 158) on theLCD screen 132 in each of four columns which correspond to the foursteaming stations 102. In other embodiments there may be more or fewersteaming stations 102 and, therefore, more or fewer columns of buttons(154, 156, 158) corresponding to those stations.

In other embodiments, the count up “timer” starts when the steamingstops. The screen freezes with the vertical slider all the way up andthe selected temp button still showing and the count up timer in placeof the STOP button at the top of the screen above each column. The countup timer does not need to take the form of a numeric time. Instead, agraphical representation of the age of the steamed milk could be used,e.g., an increasing or decreasing gauge or scale, lights changing color(for instance, green to yellow to red), or other animation or visualrepresentation of the progressing age of the steamed milk. In otherembodiments simple light bulbs could indicate a color (e.g. green thenyellow then red) that indicates the age of the steamed milk for eachstation. In this way, information pertinent to the delivery and use ofhigh quality and consistently produced steamed milk may be more readilyconveyed to a user or barista.

In yet another embodiment, the LCD screen 132 employs one or more of thefollowing features: (1) puts all operator controls for each steamstation 102 on one screen oriented in columns corresponding spatially tothe number of steaming stations 102; (2) clearly shows the user whichtemperature setting was selected once steaming is in-process; (3)displays a visual representation of the progress of the temperature ofthe milk toward the target temperature, which allows the user to managetheir energy in better timing multitasking workflow; (4) displays acount up timer representing the age of that steamed milk after the steamcuts off when target milk temperature has been reached; (5) uses audiblealarms to indicate when the milk shuts off and the age of the steamedmilk; (6) features an emergency cutoff button 174 on the LCD screen 132for each station 102, available anytime the steam valve 190 is open; or(7) allows the user to define their own ideal target settings for heat,cutoff age for steamed milk, and safety cold temp which the IR sensor128 has to sense before steam can flow through the steam wand 112.

In this embodiment, the baristas can increase the efficiency of theirmulti-tasking because this machine 100 makes it possible to create aninventory of steamed milk. This means the barista is not strictlysteaming milk to order. Knowing both the temperature status ofmilk-in-progress, as a percentage toward its target temp, and the age ofcompleted steamed milk, allows the barista to reach a new level ofefficiency and volume in milk steaming and drink making. The barista cankeep a constant flow of milk being steamed in-progress to meet thedemand of drinks coming into the system. This ability to creatework-in-process inventory in an extremely automated manner of highlyperishable steamed milk creates incremental value, over what can be donewith other machines. This efficiency may result in value equivalent to1-3 additional employees.

Embodiments of the present invention may also incorporate safetyfeatures. For example, a cold/proximity sensing safety feature 162, anIR sensor 128 (FIG. 6) must sense something cold, such as a pitcher 118or indirectly the milk) before it will allow a user to start the flow ofsteam through activation of the LCD button controls. As such, themachine 100 includes a temperature sensor as a proximity sensor,essentially forcing that there be milk ready for steaming (i.e.,cold/fresh from the fridge) before steam can be released. This canprevent the user from mistakenly steaming milk twice if a finished milkpitcher 118 is already there. Such a mistake could be caused byaccidentally touching the wrong button or by mistaking a finishedpitcher for a pitcher needing to be steamed. This feature also preventssteaming when no pitcher 118 is present and burning the barista.Hereinafter, this pitcher temperature safety temperature is alsoreferred to as the “CS Temp” 162. Unless a temperature colder than CSTemp 162 is sensed (e.g., a pitcher of cold milk), the controls forstarting the steam are shut off. A read out of CS Temp 162 is preferablypresented on the display 132 (see FIG. 9B).

In another embodiment, there may be a “physical down” position switch114 that tells the machine 100 when the elevator 104 is in thedown/ready position. This switch 114 is depressed when the elevator 104is lowered into the down position, ready for operation (FIG. 8). Unlessthe switch is down, the steam solenoid valve 190 cannot be opened.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the combination of these twosafety features ensures that the user can only control steam through thetouchscreen controls if (1) the elevator 104 is in the down position and(2) there is something cold sensed where the pitcher 118 is supposed tobe.

In another embodiment, an Adjustable Pitcher Rest 140 (see FIG. 5)extends from the bottom of the elevator 104. When the milk pitcher 118is in place for steaming against the pitcher locator rods 126, the userlowers the elevator 104 until the Adjustable Pitcher Rest 140 comes intocontact with the rim of the milk steaming pitcher 118. As illustrated inthe left-hand station in FIG. 8, this rest allows for themicro-calibration of the contact between the tip of the steam wand 122and the surface of the milk inside the pitcher 118. The preciseorientation of the steam wand tip 122 to the milk surface is a criticaldimension for the automated production of micro-foamed steamed milk,i.e. micro-foamed milk is impossible to produce without the precisecalibration of these dimensions and orientation. As depicted in FIG. 8,the Adjustable Pitcher Rest 140 is manually adjustable by the user and,for example, may be raised or lowered by rotating the threaded rest toachieve the proper setting. Alternatively, the pitcher locator rest 140may not be adjustable, but may be manufactured with ideal dimensions forlocating the steam wand tip 122 against the milk surface.

As previously discussed, the preferred embodiment of the invention iseasy to maintain and clean. In some embodiments, this feature resultsfrom the combination of the way the pitcher locator rods or devices 126and pitcher 118 surface and elevator 104 are simply constructed andreadily accessible, thus making them easy to wipe down. The maintenanceadvantage comes from the machine's simplicity and the use of highlydurable parts, highly flexible tubing 136, the simple (but highlyfunctional) LCD touchscreen 132, just to name a few reasons.

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present inventionin which machine 100 utilizes decentralized displays 150 and controls152. The displays 150 are dedicated to a respective steaming station 102preferably located below the display 150 on the front of machine 100.Likewise, each control 150, which may be a hard button, is preferablylocated above a steam station 102 and is associated with that station102. For ease of understanding, displays operate similarly to thecentralized display 130 discussed previously, except that they aresteaming station 102 specific. Likewise, the functionality of buttons152 is similar to that of buttons 134 except that they too are stationspecific.

The machine 100 depicted in FIG. 11 has the capacity to offer a smallerfootprint than a machine with a centralized display and control station130 (FIG. 1). The machine 100 of FIG. 11 may also provide operationalclarity to the user, by providing steam station information adjacent,and in close proximity, to a particular station 102. Both of thesefeatures may be advantageous to certain users.

FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a machine 100 accordingto embodiments of the present invention. A controller 180 receives inputfrom and provides output signals to various components of machine 100.Controller 180 may be a machine-specific computer, such as a PLU, oreven part of a networked system. A user provides input to controller 180through user input 182. Examples of user inputs may include, by way ofexample, stop, start, purge and temperature instructions, to name a few.Operation-related information is presented on display 184. As discussedpreviously, the User input and display 184 for multiple steam stationsin one machine 100 may be centralized or decentralized.

Boiler system 186 is controlled by controller 180 and is plumbed tosteaming stations 102 via flexible tubing 136. A solenoid valve 190controls steam flow in tube 136 and receives instructions from either ofthe controller 180 or user input 182. Boiler system 186 may be plumbedto a water supply (not shown). Steam station 102 includes elevator 104steam wand 112 and steam tip 122 angled to properly froth milk inpitcher 118. A power supply 188 provides power to components of machine100.

The machine 100 illustrated in FIG. 12 is depicted as having a singlesteam station 102, for purposes of simplicity and ease of understanding.Accordingly, it is understood that the machine 100 represented in FIG.12 may comprise multiple steam stations 102 with multiple tubes 136 andsolenoid valves 190.

The following table (TABLE 1) depicts a demonstrative use case example,and is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather, serves as an example tobetter understand the features and benefits of the present invention.

In the following case example, the user is a barista preparing highquality micro-foamed steamed milk for espresso drinks:

TABLE 1 Barista Does: Machine Does: Barista presses the Purge button andwipes off Solenoid steam valve opens and steam flows from wand boiler.The flow of steam clears condensed water out of the lines to ready themachine for milk steaming. Barista fills pitcher for use with 16 ozdrinks to designated milk volume (fills to level indicator markinginside pitcher) The temperature reading for each station is always shownon the screen below each station Puts pitcher for 16 oz drinks with coldmilk on IR sensor reads cold temperature. machine Color or barcode onpitcher indicates the 16 oz size of the pitcher to the color sensor orbarcode reader in the machine. Constantly checks if IR sensor registersa temp lower than CS Temp AND that Down Position Switch is depressed.The machine will not allow steam valve to open unless both of these aretrue. Temp is cold BUT slide is not down. Controls inactive. LowersElevator, lowering steam wand into Down Position Switch is activated.Controls milk. to open steam valve are opened to the Barista. Baristachooses and presses the MID Set The machine knows it's a 16 oz pitcherand Temp button, which aims for an end milk chooses the MID target tempfor 16 oz drinks. temp of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The solenoid valveopens and allows steam to flow through tubing and steam wand. Anemergency STOP button appears in red at the top of the columnrepresenting the coincident steam station on the machine. The baristahitting this button will instantly shut the solenoid steam valve. Thebutton representing the Stop Temp chosen remains on screen and changescolor to indicate the Stop Temp of that station while steaming isin-progress. The other buttons representing other Stop Temp optionsdisappear from the screen. Current temperature reading is still/alwaysdisplayed in the column representing coincident steam station. In thesame/active column a graphical representation of steaming progress isshown (e.g. a single bar that represents progress by rising from bottomto top to represent the percentage completion of the steam process)Steam wand is precisely positioned.   Bent at 25 degrees to vertical  Located close to the edge of the   pitcher.   The tip of the steamwand is near the   surface of the milk in the pitcher.   The combinationof these design facts   causes the milk to swirl in the pitcher   andforces the right amount of air into   the milk at the right time while  swirling. IR sensor senses Stop Temp and shuts the solenoid valvecontrolling the flow of steam. Steam stops. Emergency STOP buttondisappears and is replaced by a Count-up timer that starts and displaysthe time elapsed since milk stopped steaming in that steam station. Ifcount up timer reaches CS Temp the timer starts flashing Red to warn thebarista that the steamed milk is expired and will have to soon be thrownout. After Set Temp is reached, Barista raises When Elevator rises theDown Position Elevator. Switch is deactivated, which resets the programand safety features. If the steam valve is open and steam flowing whenthe barista lifts the elevator, the steam valve immediately closes,stopping the flow of steam.. Barista removes pitcher of steamed milk,pours latte art and conveys finished drinks for delivery to customer.Barista can duplicate this process on any of the available steamstations. Barista can enter an Admin screen by entering the pin code toaccess the settings page. In the setting page the Barista can set theHIGH, MID, LOW temperatures at which the solenoid steam valve will shutoff the flow of steam to the pitcher, the CS Temp and the Milk ExpireTM. Debounce time can also be set, which just dictates how quickly theprogram can act on consecutive inputs.

While preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention have beenillustrated and described herein, many changes can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. The variousembodiments described above may be combined to provide furtherembodiments. Aspects may be modified, if necessary, to employ devices,features, methods and concepts of various patents, applications andpublications to provide yet further embodiments. Accordingly, the scopeof the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred andalternative embodiments. Instead, the invention should be determinedentirely by reference to the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A milk-frothing apparatus comprising: an elevatorconfigured to be deployed in both an up and down position; a frothingwand coupled to the elevator and having a plurality of channels, thewand having a first primarily vertical portion proximate with respect tothe elevator and a second portion offset at an angle with respect to thefirst portion and distal with respect to the elevator, wherein the firstand second portions are configured such that fluid flows from the firstportion to the second portion; a platform configured to support afrothing container; and adjustable stops extending from the platform,wherein the adjustable stops position the frothing container so that thefrothing wand is in a predetermined position with respect to an innerwall of the frothing container.